ZIP Code 28646 — Linville CDP, NC Demographics & Data

ZIP code 28646 covers Linville, NC in Avery County with a population of about 544.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 58.9 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 828; U.S. House district NC-11; the CHARLOTTE media market.

Linville, NC fits a retirement-oriented profile (older median age or known retirement-community context). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 28646 is about $73,868 — about even with the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 0.2%; unemployment rate near 14.5%; 29.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 3.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Food services, and Retail trade; about 18.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 3.4 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $394,300 — about 13% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show owner-occupancy near 82.3% (about 16.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 28646 in Linville, NC, a household would need roughly $109,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,533. That is about 48% above the local median household income ($73,868), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Linville CDP, NC as Relatively Low (composite score 47.5), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (64.4) and hurricane (61.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Linville CDP, NC show little to no average snow and around 64.8 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 23 for ZIP 28646 (Linville CDP, NC) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.